Do you wake up in the morning, turn off the alarm, and maybe check a few important notifications on your phone?
What's the next thing you do after brushing your teeth and washing your face – grab a steaming cup of coffee?
Drinking coffee or orange juice if you're trying to adapt to the healthy lifestyle initiative, early morning is sedentary behavior. For many, it's how things work.
A survey by National Coffee Association showed that 83% of participants drank coffee in their breakfast regime.
It's time to shift things a little and focus on your health. You might have heard about the debate on the health benefits of drinking water first thing in the morning.
Let's find out whether they're true or not.
An Overview – How Essential is Water for Your Body?
In a word, the answer is EXTREMELY!
Did you know that you can live from 8 to 21 days without food and water? However, you can also live up to two months without food if there's proper water intake. That's not to say you should go days without food and drink water only, but that your body needs hydration. It means that water is much more necessary for your body than food.
Where 60% of the human body is composed of water, it plays an integral role in bodily functions. Some of the most fundamental processes that depend on water include nutrient transportation, thermoregulation, and lubricant production in the body. From excreting toxins through urine to giving your skin that nourished glow, it keeps your health in check.
Medical experts, nutritionists, and the entire world aren't joking when they say you need to drink 6-8 glasses of water each day. The consequences of dehydration are detrimental.
So, keep a water bottle with you at all times. And make sure you're drinking the daily recommended amount for your body's sake.
The Japanese Water Therapy
Japanese water therapy is a long-practiced tradition with medicinal benefits strongly believed by the Japanese. The idea is to drink 4-6 glasses of water early in the morning before eating breakfast.
Another point the Japanese water therapy mainly focuses is on is that the water must be at room temperature. Even in general medicine, cold water is thought to reverse the benefits of hydration for the digestive system. In return, it proves to be more harmful than advantageous.
The healing powers convince the advocates of this therapy of this method. It is being said to cure conditions such as constipation, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.
It sounds unbelievable, and no medical research has been able to prove this either. One thing the water therapy did get attention for is as a remedy to lose weight. This proved to be true in light of studies that show drinking water helps lose weight.
Debunking the Myth
Let's get to the real deal. We know that water is essential for our health and well-being. But what about drinking water first thing in the morning? Does it matter at all? You can fulfill the daily required amount any time of the day. So, you don't have to have gone halfway through to the 6-8 glasses before breakfast.
As of now, there are contradictory studies on the benefits of drinking water before breakfast. Most experts agree on one thing: to have a glass of water in the morning. It doesn't have any particular benefits that you don't get when you, for instance, drink water in the evening. Instead, it's a healthy habit and keeps you on track to drinking the required amount throughout the day.
Benefits of Maintaining Your Hydration Levels
Now that we know water is on the same scale for our bodies as oxygen, we'll discuss the benefits. We share what happens inside your body when you start the day with a glass of water.
Wake Up and Makeup:
No, we're not talking about pumping a dozen makeup products on your face in the morning. You can do that as well if that's what suits your preference. But first things first, make up for the dehydration your body goes through overnight!
Facts depict that you're using up around one liter of water while you sleep for body functions. The darker yellow-colored pee in the morning is because of lower water levels. Therefore, drink at least one glass of water when you wake up to rehydrate your body.
Re-Energize:
Have you ever felt tired in the morning despite a whole night's sleep? One of the causing factors of this could be dehydration. When your body's water levels are low, it needs to work extra hard for the organs to do their job.
It's an entire chain, actually: low water levels mean a direct impact on oxygen flow to the brain. And then this further leads to your heart having to pump harder. Plus, your muscles need water; otherwise, you'll feel more physical exertion and muscle cramps.
Drink water in the morning, and you'll instantly notice yourself re-energized and ready to tackle the day.
Reduce Risks of Gut Diseases:
Prolonged durations trying to pass stool in the bathroom signify that you may need more water alongside fiber. Think of water as your gut's best friend. It not only softens stool to make it pass more easily but breaks down the food you eat.
Drinking more water means that more nutrients get absorbed. Additionally, it benefits the mucous lining of your intestinal tract and the production of good bacteria in your gut. As a result, this keeps your gut health at its optimum.
Regulate Your Body Fluids:
Your body needs a balanced level of water. The concentration of urine changes depending on whether there is excess or lack of water. You're constantly losing water throughout the day, whether through sweating, breathing, or excretion.
Here's the thing – your body's lymphatic system has to go overboard if you're not drinking enough water. The human body tends to retain water when intake is low. While water retention is normal now and then, limiting your water intake can damage your organs.
Let Your Brain Have the Edge:
You'd think the brain and water intake are miles apart and have no connection. Yet water plays a role for every organ in your body, including the brain. Water might be the solution to going one step closer to increased focus, alertness, and recall ability.
More research is needed, but water is shown to boost mental performance. It might sound uncanny but drink water to stay on top of your game throughout the day.
Remove the Waste:
One of the primary passages through which the human body excretes toxins is through urination. The lesser you drink water, the more toxins and harmful bacteria are trapped in your system.
Running to the bathroom frequently is tough, but putting your health at risk is tougher. Drink an adequate amount of water daily to remove those harmful particles from your body.
Keep Your Immunity Up and Running:
The human body's immune system depends on many processes. Remember how we talked about nutrient transportation and toxin excretion through water? Your body cells need these processes to function smoothly to keep your immune system at its best.
Also, water deprivation increases the hindrance in carrying oxygen to the cells. Overall, water is the building block for many chains in the body's functioning. A more robust immune system that fights off diseases means maintaining water levels in your body.
Watch Your Skin Reawaken:
When water is flushing toxins from your whole body, it's taking them out from your skin simultaneously. Just like your gut needs the production of good bacteria and removal of the bad ones, so does your skin. Instead of buying a dozen skincare products, look into whether you're drinking water for your skin.
Hydrated skin looks healthier and has more elasticity. While it's no magical cure for natural aging and sun damage, hydrated skin is undoubtedly healthier than dehydrated.
Kickstart Your Metabolism:
There's a lot of controversy surrounding the aspect of losing weight through water by experts. Studies have not shown a tangible link between drinking water and losing weight.
Some show that participants feel fuller and eat less with a glass of water before meals. Other studies are focused on the thermogenesis factor. To define thermogenesis, it is the burning of calories due to increased body temperature after drinking cold water.
Another critical point is that when you drink water, your body functions well, including your metabolic system. Again, water may not help you lose those extra pounds instantaneously, but it's healthy for your body.
What You Need to Be Careful About
With the motivation to increase water intake, many individuals make mistakes that, in return, harm their health. The trending conversation on ‘drinking water before breakfast' is ongoing. What you need to ensure in the meantime is to steer clear of the following misinterpretations:
Water Toxicity:
Drinking enough water does not mean drinking too much water. Yep, there exists such a thing as water toxicity. How much water is too much? That depends on your body.
The general notion is that three liters are more than your body can handle. What happens is that an excessive amount of water gets in your blood, thus, decreasing the sodium level.
Water toxicity, or water poisoning, can become a life-threatening condition since its primary target is the brain. Swelling of cells due to an oversupply of water can disturb the brain's normal functioning. It's rare, but it's good to keep your eyes on how much water you regularly drink.
Dehydration:
Another fatal mistake the ongoing trend has resulted in is people drinking water only before breakfast. You can have six glasses of water in the morning, but your body still needs it throughout the day.
Drink water in the morning, but keep your water levels balanced with 1.5-2 liters. If you're the forgetful kind or too busy with work, install an app that reminds you to drink water.
Relying on Sugary Drinks:
You need to drink water. Does it matter if it's plain mineral water or the flavored kind? YES! Processed foods, including drinks, do more harm than good for your body. You're taking in tons of sugar for no reason.
Plus, these drinks primarily include other chemicals that take a toll on your health. So, when increasing your water intake, opt for healthier options.
Maybe fresh squeezed lemon juice every once in a while or naturally flavored water. You can do this by adding infusing herbs to drinking water or adding a teaspoon of honey.
Final Take
Water definitely helps you in more ways than one. There's a million! The statement that water is essential to life is as accurate as ever.
Is it equally necessary to drink water first thing in the morning? Maybe not, you can drink it after your breakfast as well. However, what is important is to drink the recommended amount daily, as we've already mentioned repeatedly.
Do your health a favor and keep a water bottle with you to make this task easier!
She is passionate about helping others understand their body.
The key to figuring out why you feel the way you feel is to take a more significant look at what is going on inside you & even around you, and then ask questions!
She is excited to help & support you on your journey of optimal health and wellness!
